It is a day of celebrating dead loved ones but the festivities are far from mournful. In fact, the Mexican fiesta (festival) is known for its vibrant parades, cheery music, and beautifully decorated sugar skulls.
From being a symbol of Chicano resistance to being widely mistaken as Mexican Halloween, Día de los Muertos has come a long way in the US. In the current day, it is celebrated by Mexicans, Latinos, and even non-Latinos as well. Due to the diversity of people celebrating Día de los Muertos in the US together, the celebrations can take many various forms. Let us see how the day is celebrated in the US.
Parades
This is probably going to be the longest section of this blog because Día de los Muertos Parades are an important part of celebrations in the US. The tradition stems from the Chicano Movement in the 1970s when Mexicans used to organize publically loud Día de los Muertos parades. The intention was to raise cultural awareness by openly embracing Mexican cultures and traditions.
As an extension of that, we can see many Día de los Muertos parades happening in big cities like San Jose, Los Angeles, and New Mexico. All these parades have common elements like community offrendas colorful dresses, music, Mexicana art, sugar skull-painted faces, and Mexican Marigolds. Furthermore, the Día de los Muertos parades in the US are a great occasion for Latino businesses to brillar a través de (shine through). Small carts line up to sell Latino foods like taquitos, churros, Mexican handicrafts, etc.
Interestingly, each of these parades has something special about them as well. For instance, the Día de los Muertos parade at Olvera Street in LA ends with everyone sharing pan dulche (sweet bread). Similarly, the Chicago parade, hosted by the National Museum of Mexican Art adds a touch of art and history to the Día de los Muertos parades every year. The annual parade at Austin also hosts specialties like Lowrider Lane, Muertos Mercado (a Day of the Dead-themed market), and a huge collection of Calveras (skulls).
Ofrendas
Ofrendas are special Día de los Muertos altars that are decorated with offerings for dead loved ones. Mexicans believe their loved ones have to complete a challenging journey for many years before finally entering the land of the dead. This is why they put out food, snacks, and other things to attract their dead loved ones. The offerings usually consist of the four elements i.e., water, wind, fire, and earth.
Furthermore, ofrendas are not just limited to food offerings. There are other things as well like photos of dead loved ones with family, candles, marigolds, decorated sugar skulls, and other decorations. These usually have multiple tiers, where the topmost tier usually holds the picture of the dead person. This marks the ofrenda as theirs. Similarly, the middle tier holds food and other items that are meant to make the deceased feel welcome in a home.
The popular food items used include Pan de Muerto, pan dulche, mole, candy, and even tequila. Other items hold some kind of significance. Like the Marigold is supposed to guide the loved one towards the ofrenda. Moreover, some Mexican families like to keep it original and put up ofrendas at the gravesites of their loved ones.
Family Movie Nights
This one is an exclusively US tradition to celebrate the Día de los Muertos. Latino or Mexican families who do not have a Hispanic community around them do this to celebrate Día de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead-inspired movie night exposes the children to Mexican and Latino cultures. It also tells them a lot about Mexican culture.
Parents usually put up Día de los Muertos-inspired décor inside homes for the movie night. They also prepare snacks and treats that represent Día de los Muertos. Usually, ofrendas are also put up in the same room, so the dead loved ones can feel included too. Popular Día de los Muertos family movies are Coco, The Big Wish, The Book of Life, etc.
Internet is an important aspect of a successful movie night, so if you plan on having one, make sure you have access to a fast and reliable Internet connection. In case you don’t, you can check out Spectrum Internet en español. Spectrum Internet is the right choice for ultra-fast connectivity and ultimate streaming.
Foods
Food is an essential aspect of communal celebration, and it applies to Día de los Muertos as well. Alimento (food) has the power to bring people together. Moreover, food is also put up on the ofrendas to feed the dead loved ones. So, food is an important aspect of celebrating Día de los Muertos in the US. Here are all the food items that are made and eaten together to celebrate Día de los Muertos in the US.
- Pan Dulche and Pan de Muerto: A sweet bread.
- Tamales: Steamed corn dough wraps with juicy fillings.
- Red Pozole: A savory stew containing meat, red chilies, and hominy.
- Sopa Azteca: A tortilla soup containing avocados, lime, and chicharron.
- Caramel Flan: A Mexican version of a homey rich pudding.
On a concluding note, the Día de los Muertos is not a day to mourn but to celebrate dead loved ones. So, all these celebrations are meant to add a happy note as individuals remember their dead loved ones.
